Devices for display and storage of articles e.g. food products, stationery, etc., generally provide a plurality of trays which are connected and supported by a vertical support. Such supports are often mounted to a wall etc. or, may be self-supporting. In this type of arrangement, the articles to be displayed must always be displayed in the same area, without any freedom with respect to repositioning for increased exposure to consumers. In addition, the known tray structures often require a significant portion of floor area while not providing a particularly aesthetic presentation for a product to be displayed.
Numerous shelving and tray systems are disclosed in the art, an exemplification of which is Canadian Patent No. 1,190,523. This reference discloses a shelving system in which there is included two pairs of vertical standards, each pair of which support shelves extending therebetween and laterally therefrom. The shelves include fastening means for fastening the shelves to the standards.
Further, a modular unit for display and storage is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 1,277,141. The modular unit provides an upright support formation having an inclined front wall panel which includes spaced apart parallel rows of folded strips of sheet metal. The shelf modules each include an anchoring flange which is received within the parallel rows of sheet metal strips. The individual shelf modules, in such an arrangement, overlie one another such that the top portion of an individual shelf is in contact with a preceding shelf module.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,746, there is disclosed tray shelving which incorporates a plurality of trough shaped tray members which provide ears or lugs to engage with slots on vertical standards. The arrangement disposes the tray members in a downwardly inclined vertical attitude and allows for vertical elevation adjustment. A similar arrangement is documented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,238.
Further U.S. references include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,347,394 and 3,365,070.
Collectively, none of these references is well suited for maximum product display in a minimum of surface area, nor are the arrangements disclosed adapted for expedient repositioning. There is, therefore, a need for a structure which does not have the inherent limitations of those tray structures known in the art.